Different provinces have different priorities. Some provinces seek more autonomy within the Canadian confederation, while autonomy may be less of a priority for other provinces.
Among the provinces seeking more autonomy, Alberta and Saskatchewan have prioritized the exploitation of their natural resources by respectively adopting the Alberta Sovereignty Act within a United Canada and the First Saskatchewan Act. In Quebec, we understand and respect these regional differences within a Canadian confederation which is vast, rich in differences and diverse in its peoples and nations.
For Quebec, among the many jurisdictions for which we are fighting to have more autonomy in the face of an increasingly centralizing Trudeau government, full control of immigration on our territory is our priority. This control is critical for our economic future, for the protection of the French language and the maintenance of the distinct culture of Quebec in North America.
Quebecers live among a sea of English speakers, where the French language is spoken by less than 2% of the population of North America. Without fierce resilience and proactive defense of our French language, we would put its long-term survival at risk.
Our allies in preserving this unique facet are the Anglo-Quebecers who decide to live in Quebec and the newcomers who choose Quebec.
Quebec has always been — and still is — a welcoming land for immigrants, although many have tried to portray it as unwelcoming. It is true, however, to say that the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) government, for electoral reasons, made irresponsible statements about immigration, which fueled fear and intolerance. They did the same with the English-speaking community of Quebec. For the Conservative Party of Quebec (PCQ), such statements by a government are not only irresponsible, but dangerous, and only serve to divide Quebecers.
Unfortunately, with the rise of the Parti Québécois in the polls, we can fear that the leaders of the CAQ will try to outrank themselves and continue their divisive policies.
However, rest assured, the CAQ’s vision does not represent the majority of Quebecers. The PCQ surveyed Quebecers last month and we asked the following question: to what extent do you agree with the statement “Quebec benefits from the work, talent and culture of immigrants”. Seventy-six percent of respondents completely agreed or generally agreed. However, 77% of respondents also agreed that immigrants should adopt the values and customs of Quebec. Therefore, a vast majority of Quebecers are in favor of the integration of immigrants into Quebec society, and not of Justin Trudeau’s unlimited and out of control immigration.
Better controlling our immigration means that we are also welcoming since we ensure that the integration of newcomers receives the support of a strong majority of society. This approach preempts discrimination, division and growing tensions. Not only does immigration have major consequences on our language and our culture, but the massive and uncontrolled immigration policy of the current Liberal government has put enormous pressure on our public services, in particular on health services, the system of education, subsidized daycare and affordable housing across Canada.
The Trudeau government’s irresponsible immigration policy creates or fuels multiple crises.
It is critical that Quebec acquire more control over its immigration and associated budgets. We understand that immigration is a shared power under the current Constitution and the Conservative Party of Quebec is not arguing for a constitutional amendment. This is why we use the term “control”. Quebec already has a certain degree of control over its immigration under the Gagnon-Tremblay-McDougall agreement of 1991.
However, this agreement has recently demonstrated its limits and it is critical to expand the coverage of the 1991 agreement to cover additional groups of immigrants, notably: family categories and assisted relatives, temporary workers under federal programs, asylum seekers.
Naturally, in exercising this control, the government of Quebec will have to work closely with various federal institutions, such as Immigration Canada, and the network of embassies and consulates around the world.
As conservatives, as supporters of decentralization, as people respecting provincial autonomy, as citizens who do not believe that Ottawa knows best, we must have an open mind and reconsider the agreement between Quebec and Ottawa on our immigration policies.
For example, just in 2023, Quebec welcomed 177,000 asylum seekers, or more than 50% of asylum seekers, while Quebec only constitutes 22-23% of the Canadian population. Not only is this unfair, it is unsustainable given the pressure it creates on our public services.
In conclusion, the federal government and the government of Quebec should, urgently, discuss the expansion of the bilateral agreement, including the additional funding necessary to meet the costs of controlling all immigration to the territory. of Quebec. A mechanism already exists in the agreement allowing this discussion. What is missing is the political will of the federal government to give Quebec more control over its immigration, a control critical for the protection of Quebec’s distinct culture and its economic growth.
It is time to exert all the pressure possible to bring the federal government to the negotiating table. The time for action is now!